(19)
(11) EP 1 310 809 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
07.04.2004 Bulletin 2004/15

(43) Date of publication A2:
14.05.2003 Bulletin 2003/20

(21) Application number: 02020397.2

(22) Date of filing: 12.09.2002
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: G02B 6/35, G02B 26/02
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 06.11.2001 US 992843

(71) Applicant: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Palo Alto, CA 94306 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Carey, Kent W.
    Palo Alto, CA 94304 (US)
  • Hidaka, Tetsuya
    Tokyo, 195-0072 (JP)
  • Kondoh, You
    Kanagawa, 242-0002 (JP)
  • Saito, Mitsuchika
    Kanagawa, 213-0033 (JP)
  • Takenaka, Tsutomu
    Tokyo 192-0363 (JP)

(74) Representative: Liesegang, Roland, Dr.-Ing. 
FORRESTER & BOEHMERT Pettenkoferstrasse 20-22
80336 München
80336 München (DE)

   


(54) Pressure-actuated bi-stable optical switch


(57) Pressure-actuated bi-stable optical switching is provided. In this regard, a pressure-actuated bi-stable optical switch 200 includes an optical path and a cavity (216) intersecting the optical path. The cavity defines a first position along the optical path and a second position displaced from the optical path. An index-matching liquid (218), which exhibits an index of refraction closer to an index of refraction of the optical path than to that of a vacuum, is arranged within the cavity. A pressure generator (212) generates pressure that selective moves the liquid (218) between the first and second positions. Additionally, a potential profile maintains the liquid in the one of the first and second positions to which it was most recently moved while the pressure generator is not generating pressure. Methods, systems and other switches also are provided.






Search report